March is a great month to start to do some easy vegetables
It's worth trying to grow some vegetables even if you have a tiny space. The sheer satisfaction of eating what you've raised is amazing and they taste really good too.
Now there's the right way to do vegetables and there's the quick way. Sticklers will say that you won't get as good a yield if you take shortcuts, but I say, leave that until you're serious about raising vegetables. For now, to get you started, here's the quick and dirty way to do it…
Make sure the soil is as clear from weeds as possible before you start - I'd clear an area that you can see easily from the house so you don't forget about the plants.
Now there's the right way to do vegetables and there's the quick way. Sticklers will say that you won't get as good a yield if you take shortcuts, but I say, leave that until you're serious about raising vegetables. For now, to get you started, here's the quick and dirty way to do it…
Make sure the soil is as clear from weeds as possible before you start - I'd clear an area that you can see easily from the house so you don't forget about the plants.
- Put in seed potatoes. Buy a string bag of seed potatoes (choose 'earlies') from the garden centre and put them into the ground about a ruler's length away from each other and half a ruler's length deep. When the plants get flowers on them start to dig up the potatoes as you need them.
- Strawberries. Get little strawberry plants from the garden centre and put them in the ground about a ruler's length apart. While you're at the garden centre get some sharp grit to spread around the plants to help deter slugs.
- Later on this month put in onions. Again you buy baby plants (sets) from the garden centre. Put them in the ground up their necks about 10cm apart, when the leaves start to turn yellow later in the summer you pull them up.
- Plant a fruit tree. If you have the room, a fruit tree is a great, easy way to grow fruit and now is a good time to buy them. Before the end of March you should be able to get them 'bare root' which means they won't be in a container. Two things about bare root plants – they are much cheaper than container grown ones, but they need to be planted up as soon as you get them. Take advice from your nursery as to what to buy, but if your new tree is going to be alone in the garden look for self-fertile fruit trees that don't need a partner to fertilise their flowers.
- Sow some seeds. This is real gardening but it doesn't have to be difficult. For seeds it's more important to get the soil crumbly and weed-free but essentially the way to do it is to get some seed packets from the garden centre and (following the instructions on the packet) put the seeds in the ground. If you're just starting avoid anything that mentions 'sowing under glass' or 'transplanting'. Try beetroot, peas and French beans.
posted on March 1, 2008 by Caroline Tilston
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